For the glam rock band Wizzard, the festive season truly is the gift that keeps on giving. New research has revealed that their timeless 1973 single, 'I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday', accounts for a staggering 97% of the group's total streams on Spotify, underlining its incredible and enduring commercial power.
The Sound of a Cash Register Ringing
The analysis, conducted by SEO firm Dark Horse, estimates that the iconic track generates approximately £430,000 in streaming revenue for the band. The song's famous opening sound – the kerching of a cash register – has proven to be prophetically symbolic of its long-term financial success.
Wizzard, formed in the early 1970s by the prolific musician Roy Wood, now tops a 'Christmas reliance' chart. Of the band's top ten tracks on Spotify, which have amassed 215 million streams in total, the Christmas classic alone claims 208 million of those plays.
A Legacy Overshadowed by Tinsel?
While the song's annual dominance secures a significant income, it also casts a long shadow over Wood's broader musical catalogue. Before founding the flamboyant Wizzard, Wood was a central figure in the psychedelic rock band The Move and co-founded the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) with Jeff Lynne and Bev Bevan in 1970.
Wizzard itself scored several other hits during the glam era, including 'Ball Park Incident' and 'See My Baby Jive'. However, these have been largely eclipsed by the perennial Christmas favourite. As noted by The Guardian's head rock and pop critic Alexis Petridis, creating a song that becomes "part of the fabric of national life" remains a monumental achievement, even if it overshadows an artist's other work.
Part of a Wider Festive Trend
The story of Wizzard's streaming dominance is not an isolated case. According to Andrew Mitchell, Head of Digital PR at Dark Horse, it reflects a major shift in how classic Christmas music performs in the digital age.
"In the early 2000s, there were hardly any Christmas songs in the Top 40 of the week that the Christmas No 1 is crowned," Mitchell explained. "That has steadily risen over the years, and now Christmas songs dominate the charts – and usually the same ones each year. Over the past few years, at least half of the Top 40 each Christmas has been the same as the previous year."
This trend was evident in the 2023 Christmas charts, where Kylie Minogue's 'Xmas' claimed the number one spot, ending the two-year reign of Wham!'s 'Last Christmas'. The charity single 'Lullaby' from the Together for Palestine campaign also entered the race, reaching number five.
The data confirms that for bands like Wizzard, a single festive masterpiece can become the cornerstone of their legacy and their revenue for decades to come, ensuring their place on playlists every December without fail.
